Wednesday, December 3, 2008

"LET IT SHOW" KELLY MONAHAN & ALI TAYLOR DECEMBER 2-6, 2008

ALI TAYLOR

BFA, Studio Art Major

Ali sees her work as a way of connecting with people - through familiarity, nostalgia, and humor. It is meant resonate with the viewer on a personal level, to evoke feelings of empathy and understanding that transcend aesthetic appeal and delve more into the connections, be they conscious or unconscious, that we are capable of making with images and with each other.

"Niece"Oil on Canvas24” x 24”2007

"Nephew" Oil on Canvas24” x 24”2007

KELLY MONAHAN

BFA, Studio Art MajorIn a new body of work focusing on Las Vegas showgirls, Kelly Monahan explores the connection between body and costume in relation to performance. Stemming from her own experience acting, dancing and playing dress up throughout her childhood, Monahan aims to reevaluate those experiences in order to explore the many identities constructed through them. The showgirls demonstrate the capacity for costumes to either display one's private identity publicly or mask it entirely. While the showgirls represent an extreme in terms of their costumes and context for performance, they reignite a child-like capacity for fantasy and make-believe. The showgirls function as an entry point into discussing the process of identity construction through costume, and as an opportunity to indulge in child-like fantasies of an idealized performance where everything glitters, sparkles and shines.

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About The Commons

Downtown New York has long been a magnet for the world’s most innovative artists. Within this cosmopolitan environment, NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Art and Art Professions creates a home for visual artists who work side by side with acclaimed performers, scientists, theorists, and philosophers to explore the frontiers of creative practice.